South African filmmaker Bonginhlanhla “Mr B” Ncube has received a lot of attention after showing his debut film, 48, at the Pan African Film Festival in the United States last month.

The film follows a terminally ill man with only 48 hours to live if he can’t raise the cash needed to cure his disease.

Short on ideas, and increasingly desperate, he eventually opts to hold up a bank.

“The interest in this movie was quite huge in the US and there was a flood of invitations from other film festivals too. Producers that I met in Ghana and Nigeria also showed an interest to screen the movie in their countries,” Ncube told the Sowetan.

“The best opportunity though was a co-production deal I sealed with a Hollywood producer, to write a script for a movie that I will co-produce with them. I am currently busy writing the script.”

The Pretoria-based filmmaker says his next movie will take place in semi-rural and urban settings, as he feels that would be most representative of South Africa.

“I do not want to show a country that is deeply rural and that does not have electricity because the truth is, South Africa is rural, with well-developed urban areas.

“I will shoot this movie in the Drakensberg Mountains with its crystal-clear streams and rivers and show the beauty of the place. I am avoiding using Cape Town as a film location because that city has been used too frequently,” Ncube says.

Ncube’s next film, which has the working title of Clairvoyance, will focus on a rural man who with supernatural powers.

“The person has a phobia and general dislike for cities, but circumstances force him to migrate to the big city, where he eventually puts his powers to use,” Ncube says.

In the meantime, 48 is up for several awards at the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). Movies from SA have received 45 nominations this year, second only to Nigeria, who bagged 52.

Ncube’s film is competing for three awards.

“I am totally flattered and so proud of the cast of 48 who received nominations for best actor in a leading role, best actor in a supporting role and best actress in a leading role,” Ncube says.

“Being nominated is as good as a win because it shows and recognises the hard work these actors put into their act.”

You can watch a brief, wordless but rather amusing clip from the film below, courtesy of Youtube:

Pics Courtesy of Facebook.